During her campaign for leadership of the UCP party, Danielle Smith made clear her plans to overhaul Alberta Health Services (AHS). She threatened to fire the entire AHS board and appoint an interim health commissioner reporting directly to herself and the health minister. While concentrating power into her hands, she says she wants to decentralize health careContinue reading “Alberta Health Services needs strengthening, not dismantling”
Category Archives: Pandemic
Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
It has been two years since an invisible but formidable foe shook up our lives. Since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, we have all learned a great many things. We learned to bake bread, sew masks, use videoconferencing not only to get through our workday but also toContinue reading “Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Children and Youth in Mental Health Crisis
On October 19, 2021, the American Association of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in children’s mental health. They cited soaring rates of depression, anxiety, trauma and loneliness in American children and youth as reasons for this unprecedented declaration. The picture is no less grim in Canada. Even before the pandemic, poor mental health was rankedContinue reading “Children and Youth in Mental Health Crisis”
Help wanted in the hospitality industry
There is a scarcity of hospitality workers in Alberta and across Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the number of unfilled hospitality jobs in Canada have almost doubled since before the pandemic. How can we reconcile the labour shortage lamented by the hospitality sector with high unemployment rates across the country? A recent study by theContinue reading “Help wanted in the hospitality industry”
COVID-19 vaccine policies explained
Following a worrisome wait for a renewed supply of COVID-19 vaccines, many Albertans now have the opportunity to receive their vaccine much sooner than expected. Many are pleased at the accelerated timelines and are ready to roll up their sleeves, but some are anxious or confused about the evolving COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. COVID-19 vaccine guidelinesContinue reading “COVID-19 vaccine policies explained”
COVID-19 vaccine brings hope for the new year
Last week, Health Canada announced approval of the first vaccine against COVID-19 infection for use in Canada. The development of highly effective vaccines against a virus that we couldn’t name a year ago will surely go down in history as an unequalled biomedical triumph. The vaccine development process normally takes decades, not months, to accomplish. Continue reading “COVID-19 vaccine brings hope for the new year”
Impact of COVID-19 on children
Seniors are at highest risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 infection but children may suffer effects from the pandemic over an entire lifetime. The direct impact of COVID-19 on children is usually asymptomatic or mild infection with only rare hospitalization or ICU admission. But, the impact of school closures, economic shutdowns and socialContinue reading “Impact of COVID-19 on children”
Confidence during the COVID-19 Crisis
In times of crisis, we reap the benefits of the society we have built around us. This is why knowing that I live in Canada lets me sleep better at night. Although the novel coronavirus causing the global pandemic is virtually identical in all parts of the world, it is having dramatically different consequences inContinue reading “Confidence during the COVID-19 Crisis”
The Engaged Citizen 